Oh dear God what did I just do? Booth and Brennan stood on opposite sides of her table, a long silence stretching out between them. He had just done it. 3 years of partnership had led him to love Brennan. Totally, completely. He loved her. But he had never admitted it. That was the sort of thing that ruined partnerships. Say something, say something, say something. He doubted Bones could read minds but it was worth a shot.

Brennan was shocked. That wasn't the word for it. Her mind had just been hit by a sledgehammer. She wasn't used to being stunned into silence like this. She had a billion responses buzzing through her head, so she simply grabbed the first and most obvious one.

"What?"

"You heard me Brennan. Please, don't make me say it all over again," Booth could barely look her in the eyes. He had told her he loved her like he was angry with her. No wonder she was confused. But he didn't have a great plan laid out here. He was winging it in the truest sense of the term. Unfortunately he was coming out of it sounding like a jackass. "I love you. And you either feel the same way or you don't."

"But…you can't. We're partners. And friends too. I'm sorry if I acted as though we weren't. But you can't…we can't…It just doesn't work this way. We're close. We spend a lot of time together. Maybe that closeness is just something you're confusing with love," even she didn't believe it while she was saying it.

"Look, you want love in some scientific definition right? The way it could be measured in a lab? Well I'm not sure that way exists. But I did hear it like this once: Love for someone else is the quality of your life being better for having him or her in it. And the strength of that love is determined by how much better. That's as close to a scientific break down as I can get without getting into endorphins and brain signals. Now if that definition is true, which I believe it is, then I can say, unequivocally, that I love you," and those words Booth did believe. Brennan simply sat there, contemplating. Finally she spoke.

"Why now? Why not last year? Or the year before that? Why did you tell me this right here, in my kitchen of all places?"

"Because until now I was secure with our routine. You were always there. Every assignment, every week, you were there. Even when you were in a relationship I held on to our partnership like a trump card. But two weeks ago I realized that God doesn't give a shit about my trump card. I could still lose you any time, partnership or not. So I decided it was time to get busy living my life, and that life had always been better for having you in it. You are the best part of my day. I look forward to work because you'll be there. I look forward to lunches, because I spend them with you. Hell, I even look forward to our appointments with Sweets because it is one hour I am guaranteed to spend sitting and talking with you. And all of those actives are better for having you in them. That's love. And that's why I love you," he was looking her in the eyes now. There was no anger there. No resentment. Just pure, undiluted hope. Brennan rose to her feet, but didn't move to leave. She didn't move at all once she stood. Her eyes had the look of solving some difficult math problem. Then a wave of relief seemed to go over them as though the problem had been solved. She spoke slowly, but with conviction.

"Love for someone else is the quality of your life being better for having him or her in it," she quoted Booth verbatim, and he nodded, "And the strength of that love is determined by how much better," again Booth nodded, "Well…in that case, I love you too." She said it simply, like some fact that had always been so obvious there was no point in stating it.

"You do?" Booth was stunned.

"Yes…I accepted the parameters of your explanation, weighed out my life so to speak, and I can honestly say that I love you too." As cold and scientific as it sounded, there was true warmth in Bone's eyes and voice. "Of course this is going to cause a whole slue of complications with work and we'll need to discuss-" her statement was cut short as Booth closed the distance between them and pressed his mouth into hers. There was power in the kiss, no edge or anger, just raw power.

He had no idea what those three words would do to him when they came from her mouth. There was a hurricane of emotions going through his mind. He was ecstatic that she had said them, confused because he hadn't expected her to, suspicious that it had all been too easy, and after that came a big who gives a shit feeling that led him to kiss her. His large hands framed either side of her face while her twined themselves behind his neck. He deepened the kiss, nipping at her lower lip till a small groan escaped her mouth and she opened it to him. His tongue traced patterns along her lips as he slid his hands down her back, to her legs, and pulled her upward with ease. Her legs instinctively wrapped themselves around him and she felt her back get pressed into her kitchen wall. A wave of adrenaline filled them both, along with a wave of something else, something they often ignored in their more civilized moments…lust.

There would be long talks over where this would lead later. They would have to completely reevaluate their relationship, personally and professionally. They would cover every inch of ground that they were happily skipping over at that moment. But all of that could come later. For once they were doing exactly what they wanted to, exactly what they needed to.

"Bedroom, now," Brennan's muffled voice came through the kiss. Booth was two steps ahead of her. Never breaking the kiss, but at least bothering to open his eyes, he took them from the kitchen to her bedroom in all of two seconds. He placed her on the bed and covered her body with his own. His hands were everywhere: in her hair, along her ribs, raising goosebumps behind her neck. He was everywhere and she still couldn't get enough of him.

Cautiously, and very tentatively, Booth traced his fingers long the hem of Brennan's shirt. She responded by pressing herself more firmly into him. He pulled the shirt up slowly, breaking the kiss for the first time to pull it over her head. He looked at her body the way a starving man might look at a feast. Her abdomen was tight and built from her karate classes. Her small but proud breasts were covered by a black lace bra. Her skin was the color of cream, and as Booth placed a series of kisses from her neck to her belly button, he decided she tasted of the sweetest cream too. She was working on pulling his shirt from his body as well but was having a tough time of it. Booth decided to help her out, shedding his shirt and tossing it on top of hers. Her eyes looked at him, a mixture of lust and concern. Where her skin was smooth and unblemished, his was dotted with scars. Some were from bullets while others appeared to be healed over cuts. His ribs had been broken and healed many times over. His muscled chest was rising and falling quickly. He leaned forward again, this time placing small gentle kisses on either side of her face.

"Brennan," he said, his voice barely a whisper, "I love you."

"I know Booth. I love you too."